Chapter 47

We slept the whole day away, and by the time darkness fell again, we decided one more night wouldn't hurt anything.

Besides, fuck the Oracle.

Zor's magic was still refilling. Tristan and Zephryn were so depleted they couldn't shift. Raziel could still barely hold food down. Torin was sleeping, and probably would be, according to Vesper, until tomorrow.

Bella was working on a potion to boost everyone's magic, while I was doing what I did best. Trying to figure out how to keep us all alive a little while longer.

The fate of the world rested on the shoulders of a seriously beat-up bunch of rescuers, most of whom didn't even have their magic. The only good thing about the delay? I had a few hours to explore the now-crowded library and research to my heart's content.

A dream come true, really, if it weren't for Tavion Montgomery annoying the fuck out of me while I was trying to read.

He planted his elbows on the table, giving me one of those imperious smiles I'd like to slap off his face. "See what happens when you leave me behind, Anaria?"

"Shite gets done?" I countered, flipping a page in the enormous book. He reached over and flicked my nose. "Ow. That fucking hurt." Every witch in the vicinity sent us dirty looks.

"No, people almost got killed, smartass." He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "But we got lucky. After almost losing all our allies, we have the pendant." Those uncanny blue eyes turned calculating. "Any idea how they plan to free their friend from the stone?"

"Not a clue." I moved the candle closer to concentrate on some especially tiny writing. "I kind of expected them to ask Vesper or Bella for help, but so far I've heard nothing."

Books were piled in front of me, all of them useless except this one, which showed promise.

Tavion scanned the library again and blew out a bored sigh. "Is this really the best use of your time before we leave for Solarys? Research?" He flipped over the front cover of my book.

"Hemomancer Enchantments." His lips quirked. "Sounds boring enough to be the death of me."

Someone behind us made a shooshing sound. I squeezed my eyes closed and prayed for the patience not to murder my husband in cold blood.

"Being down here in the library is a privilege, Tavion," I hissed. "Don't fuck this up for me."

"Did I ever get a chance to tell you"—Tavion dropped his voice and settled his chin on his arms as several witches glared at the back of his head—"how fucking hard I got when you told the Oracle to fuck right off? Seriously, it was the sexiest thing I've ever seen you do. Besides that strip tease the night you told me to fuck off for good."

His smile turned wicked. "You're good at telling people to fuck off, actually."

"You have a strange idea of what foreplay is, Montgomery," I whispered, "But I'm glad I could accommodate." I squinted at a promising line of text…No, not at all what I was looking for.

"Seriously. Why are we here when we could be upstairs?" His croon turned to liquid sex, dripping over my goose-pimpled flesh and turning my pussy slick. "I want to put my mouth on you, Anaria. I want to lick every drop of that sweet arousal I'm scenting from between your legs."

His fingers skated up my thigh, pausing just before they reached my pussy, the warm weight of his hand making it impossible to think. And that dimple in his chin when he smiled…all I wanted was to plant a kiss right there.

"And yet this is what we're doing instead." I shot him a glare and crossed my legs, adding friction to my already tormented pussy. "Research."

He sat back, focusing on my lips, and for that one second the library faded away. My world narrowed down to a pair of dancing green eyes and a mocking smile and that full bottom lip, dented by white, perfect teeth.

Then his gaze narrowed, the teasing smile turning calculating.

"We're all leaving tomorrow for Solarys? Or were you bluffing when you said you needed me to contact the royal houses?" Questions flickered in Tavion's eyes. Questions he deserved answers to.

"Not entirely." I scootched my chair closer to his, the legs screeching across the floor louder than a dying Howler. "Sorry," I muttered to the room at large.

"We're heading to the DeVayne estate, right?" I muttered through my teeth. "How secure is Tristan's place? Have you ever been there?"

Tavion dropped his preening attitude and switched to the serious, protective male I was beginning to rely on more and more. "The estate is far enough outside of Blackcastle nobody even remembers it's there. The biggest issue will be getting into the city without being tagged by the Solarys army, since their encampment stretches from the ward to the Keep."

"She only gave us a week," I said softly. "I doubt we'll get an extension."

Tavion took my hand, his thumb gently rubbing my palm as my stomach flipped. "Everything doesn't rest on your shoulders, Anaria. You have us. Even though you'd better not even think about leaving me behind next time."

I restrained myself from flicking his nose. "Your ego is just hurt."

He winked. "You'd better fucking believe it is." A chorus of shooshes went up before he turned around and bared his teeth at the now-silent room while I winced.

"That means we only have five days to get into Solarys then decide how to get close enough to the king to kill him." Tavion's blue eyes hardened to ice chips. "You also informed her Raz was doing the honors of putting the Shadow King in the ground."

"I did say that." I tried to keep the worry from my voice but couldn't. Our odds…kept getting worse. With every step we took, our chances of survival grew slimmer and slimmer, and we both knew it.

Still, I straightened my shoulders and pasted a smug smile on my face. "I told her exactly what each of us will be doing. Can't leave our boss out of the loop, can we?"

Tavion's lips tickled my ear, his hand skating back up my leg, except this time I didn't stop him. "Does that mean none of us will be doing those jobs, or did you actually give away your master plan to that monster? You know she can read minds, right?"

"Oh, trust me, I know," I told him tartly, turning to the next page. "I simply have an entirely different backup plan, and one never knows when they might have to put their plan B into motion. Especially after some arsehole comes along and changes all the rules." I grinned, and something in my chest lifted when Tavion matched it with an irreverent grin of his own.

"What's this plan B, may I ask?"

"Oh, I think you'll like it."

I paused, air whooshing out of my lungs as I finally found what I'd been looking for. I read the passage twice to make sure I understood, then closed the book and tucked it under my arm. "I'll fill you in on the details on our walk upstairs." He slung his arm over my shoulders as we left, every eye following us.

"We are on a tight deadline, after all."

I hauledthe book back up to our room, hoping for some quiet time to read the text more thoroughly, only to find Raziel and Zor pacing like caged animals and Tristan reclined on the bed, cleaning his nails with a knife.

"Fucking finally. Where were you two?"

"In Stormfall's stuffy library being constantly scolded by a bunch of tight-arse witches." Tavion sauntered in behind me. "I'd hoped to have the bedroom to ourselves, but I have to say, you three look…rejuvenated."

"We're ready to leave." Zorander was outfitted in some cleverly made combat gear, long dark hair pulled back from his face, dark eyes glittering in anticipation. "Tonight. Now." His gaze dipped to the book clutched in my hands. "We're only taking what we need."

"Torin knows a back way in, past the northern troops," Tristan volunteered. "She swears it's safe."

"Why is that not surprising?"

"Because nothing should surprise you when it comes to her," Raziel said tersely. "Once we're past the lines, we'll make the final jump to Tristan's from there."

My fingers curled around the edges of the book. I'd almost gotten used to being here, to having some place safe to call home for a few days. My throat tightened. "Are you all back to full strength? Because we could afford another day of rest."

Zorander stepped closer, studying my face, then lifted the book out of my arms. "We cannot delay any longer, Anaria." But beneath the patient gentleness in his voice was that tone of pure command. A general leading his armies into battle. "We can't afford to battle the Oracle and Serpens both. Let's go set Solarys free."

I swallowed, my nerves suddenly on edge. "Freedom didn't turn out so well for Tempeste, if you remember."

"We know more about what to expect this time." He checked his weapons with a fierce, humorless grin. "We have a better plan. You have a better plan, Anaria."

I dropped my voice so only he could hear. "I'm scared, Zor. Really, really scared. It's not just us this time. And knowing what happened last time makes me wonder…if what we're doing is right."

I rushed on. "All those innocents in Tempeste, they paid the price. And all those soldiers, they spent their last days as Reapers." The knot in my chest pulsed, and even Zorander's arms didn't keep me warm.

"I just…I want to give people a chance, Zor, not doom them to some terrible future."

"I know." He gathered me closer. "This time it'll be different."

He buried his face in my neck, and we stayed like that, clinging to each other as I tried to convince myself this time would be different.

When he pulled back, Zor's face was deathly calm. "You are our heart and soul, like it's been for millennia. I'm done fighting destiny, done pretending the past isn't our future. We are yours. Yours to command in whatever battles you wish to fight. And if you don't want to fight those battles…" He smoothed my hair back.

"Then we'll find a place in this world where the Oracle and her brother will never find us," Raziel murmured, a fierce light burning in his eyes. "On the other side of the world, across the sea, there are other lands."

"And leave these people to their fates?" My heart twisted and I realized how selfishly I was behaving right now. I'd waited my entire life for enough power to change this world, and now that I had it…I was hesitating.

Scared, if I wanted to be honest.

The Anaria of four months ago—magicless, powerless, weak—would kick my ungrateful arse for such useless thoughts.

"No," I said quietly. "No, we're not giving up. Not when we can change things for the better." I took the book back from Zor. "But I need this."

"Then we're leaving?" Tristan was already to the door, throwing his cloak over his shoulders. "Because Zephryn's already downstairs, and he is in a fucking temper from waiting. We should really get moving."

Zephryn was, indeed, in a temper, the dragon shifter pinning me with a dark glare as soon as my feet hit the steps. "We could already be at the ward. What was so important you wasted all of today?"

"The last time I saw you, dragon, you were face down in the snow," I told him tartly, taking a small amount of pleasure in watching him bristle. "So forgive me if I didn't think you'd be so perky this evening."

"Only because my potion worked perfectly." Bella looked pleased with herself. "By tomorrow all of you should be back to full power. I came up with the mixture on my own."

"Thank you." I shoved the book into her hands. "For sheltering us, and for being so kind when you didn't have to be." I squeezed her fingers around the cover. "Page four hundred and fourteen. Figure out how to use blood magic against her. Once we get Cosimo out of the pendant…we'll figure out how to kill her. Then none of us will live in fear ever again."

Bella's eyes darkened. "We are your blood. You are welcome back here any time."

As if she'd been summoned, Adele emerged from the shadows like a wraith, a dark blue robe wrapped around her frail body. She glared at me with such contempt, her pale face cold as ice. Still, there was something comforting about knowing she had a chance at a life here, even if she was pissed about it.

Raziel carried Torin while Zor took Zephryn on the first trip, and we all held our breath waiting for them to return, even Tavion, who masked it beneath a bawdy song that had us all blushing.

Simon and Tristan were next, then they returned for Tavion and me. I took one final look at Adele then nodded to Bella.

"Take care of my mother."

"Perhaps, given time, she will find her way." Bella gave me a sad, quiet smile that told me what she thought of Adele's chances. "We will do what we can to guide her."

"Thank you, Bella." I took Raziel's arm, his strong hand gripping my waist. "I hope I see you again."

She pressed her hand to her chest and dipped her head. "With the Three Mothers' blessing, we will meet again."

The last things I saw were the torches blazing in Stormfall's entry hall, Bella and Vesper's hands raised in farewell, and my mother's hate-filled glare. Then cold swept in, light turned to darkness, and the world blurred together.